DIY rear lift tool to prevent cracked windows.

Having read the most horrifying postings here and here I decided to make a tool.

To prevent the rear window cracking, the complete back should be lifted straight up.

I made a bar between the rear rack, a connector with a low-cots 2 T jack and used two old stands.

Easy and (I think) efficient.

(Next project may be to construct a bar to lift the complete front at the same time so the complete car will be off the ground)

Look at the pictures; you can make one yourself easily! :-0)
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Great idea!

I am afraid our animnal protection society here though may disapprove of your safety test method

 

Like the best things in life..............SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE............. Now, where's my welding kit..?????????????

 

It is now back from the local powdercoater.... Ready For Use :-0)
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Nice.. I WANT ONE!!!! lol... Great work brother.. Now do your service then get out and drive..

Be well..

R

 

Mel - glad the corgi made an appearance. But you need to tell him to stay away from unsupported cars...

 

Yellow is nice, but, I can't help but think that Rossa Corrsa would have been the ultimate in colour coding, you 're 2/3rds on the way already.......LOL..............

 

Mel, that is FANTASTIC. Great work. I tried to get clarification on the 'cracked glass' before.

Which cracks: Is it the SIDE rear glass or the REAR glass across the back of the car?

My SIDE rear glass is actually plexiglass. At least on my 94.

 

I understand it to be the rear.

 

Excellent idea.

I do have one question though.

You are away from your home shop, the tire goes flat, (it happens you know) and you have to use the cars jack or the garages floor jack.

What do you do?

1. Drive home on the rim?
2. Use the cars jack?
3. Use the garages jack?
4. Drive home and get the tool? Even if you are 200 miles away?
5. Flat bed the car to your house? Then how do you get the tool under the car?

I think the tool you made is an excellent service jack accessory for working on the car when it needs it and at your desire.

I cracked one of my old ones just changing a tire once.

 

I will stop the car in that case, open the front and take out two hand jacks + spare tire.....

Use the tool to unscrew the 5 nuts.... place one jack left and one right...

Will lift one side a few inches, then go to the other side and do that again until high enough..

You will know the rest...

I don't take any risk cracking my back window after having read all these serious postings here....

Too hard to get one and too exepensive (and stupid if I could have prevented it to happen) !

The two jacks are store under the spare tire.....
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Nice one..!!!!!

 

Wow, very nice Mel. Now get that idea patented, license it to Hill Engineering to manufacture/market ... and sell it to 10,000 TR owners around the world.

 

It's the front wind screen. Not the back window. Too much flex when lifting by any one corner.

Jim S.

 

Jim, see the very first posting: klick on the two blue links ..here.. and read.....

I am going to make a tool to lift the front also..... will keep you all informed....

 

Interesting posts. As I know longer own a Testarossa, I have not been following these posts. However, having owned one for 20 years, and now a Boxer for 10 years, I have been aware of front window issues relating to flexing. I was not aware of rear window issues.

I am a bit suspect of rear window failure owing to body flex, as the frame seems to be a rather strong geometry. The front window can be felt moving in the frame each time you drive the car. If the driver simply places the pads of their fingers on the junction of the glass and the frame as the car travels, you can feel the movement between glass and chassis. This large area and circumference provides opportunity for stresses on the glass. The smaller rear window and its solid frame would appear to be resistant to this issue.

Perhaps these failures (rear) are related to prior removal and stress cracks incurred during the extrication.

In either event, awareness of the tremendous flex of the body when lifting a corner and potential cracking of front and rear is the important lesson.

Thanks for bringing this (rear window) to my attention.

Jim S.

 

How the heck does a car as heavy as a TR, with a full frame, flex enough to break its own glass?

I mean most unibody cars dont usually flex that much. T Top Camaros and Firebirds may be the exception ( they will break glass) but 911's , and a host of other cars do not seem to have this problem

Is it the width that allows the flex? TR's seems like they would be stout.

Yet another reason not to buy one i guess.

 

I have jacked mine up on one side in the rear over the past 5 years of ownership and never cracked the rear glass. The only reason not to buy a TR is if it fails the PPI

 

I have jacked up the rear of TRs by putting the jack under the transmission, using a piece of wood to spread the load, and raise the whole rear of the car up...never had a problem. I have also jacked up one side at a time, but I use 2 floor jacks for this, one at each jacking point....and carefully see-saw it up. I've also used this method for the front end and the back end individually. Eventually I made a set of ramps for all four corners, the front tires go up and then level off and then the rears go up...all in one forward driving motion. This way the whole car is up all the way around and then there's plenty of clearance for jacks, etc.

 

Mel. Did you ever get round to fabbing a front lifting tool ?. If yes then pictures please

 

Hi Ivor ... sorry to say but no !

Problem is ... my car is very, very low ... how can I slip something (bar) under it and then lift it centrally ....

I use now two VW jacks, each on one side and kept running between right and left side ....

 

Mel. How about camper van ramps, they are made of a strong plastic ( very light ) only about 5-6 inches high, this may give you the clearance required, maybe worth a try,, . I've just completed an" introduction to welding" course, and my first project will be an attempt to replicate your rear lifting tool,, hope you don't mind.

 

Of course it is not a problem: document it with lots of pics for the other readers please !

 

Will do. .. THANX.

 

Jim...

trust me... its the rear as well!! i have a cancelled check for 1500.00 to prove it!!

It happens when you jack the rear corner up, the rear glass will crack at the curved section.. im sure may not happen every time..

but it surely did on my 94 512TR.